The alignment for the widened Lucknow-Sitapur National Highway has been finalised, marking a significant step towards easing congestion on one of the busiest routes in Uttar Pradesh. With a budget of approximately Rs 1,000 crore, the tender for widening the road to a six-lane carriageway is expected to be floated by December 31 this year.
High Traffic Volume
National Highway 30, previously known as NH 24, witnesses an average daily movement of nearly 55,000 passenger car units. This highway is part of the 1,984-km-long corridor connecting Uttarakhand to Andhra Pradesh. Among the five national highways linking Lucknow to neighbouring districts, the Lucknow-Sitapur route experiences the second-highest traffic flow after Unnao, followed by Ayodhya, Rae Bareli, and Hardoi.
Project Details
The 60-km road stretch from the outskirts of Lucknow to Sitapur city will be widened into a consistent six-lane carriageway, providing a minimum right of way of 60 metres. The project includes the construction of three major flyovers to bypass the congested towns of Siddhauli, Khairabad, and Sitapur city. Additionally, 15 underpasses will be built to facilitate smooth movement of motor vehicles between intermediate towns and crossings.
Officials have stated that, similar to the Lucknow-Sultanpur National Highway, there will be no major traffic crossings where highway-bound vehicles merge with city traffic on the Lucknow-Sitapur route. This design aims to reduce bottlenecks and improve travel efficiency.
Reduced Length and Handover
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has prepared a proposal to hand over stretches of national highways within city limits to the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (UPPWD). As a result, the length of the widened corridor has been reduced from 66 km to approximately 60 km.
Nakul Verma, Project Director of NHAI's Lucknow project implementation unit, stated that the detailed project report is being examined to prepare documents for inviting bids from construction agencies. “We are hopeful of roping in the construction agency which would take up the widening work by December 31,” he said.
Another official from the highways authority revealed that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has been approached regarding the handover. “We are gradually going to hand over the maintenance and operations of five national highways in Lucknow city to UPPWD. City limits are going to be defined up to the area which falls within the Outer Ring Road. Onwards from the exit point of Outer Ring Road, NHAI would continue to maintain the highway stretches,” the official said.
Impact on Commuters
The widening project is expected to significantly reduce travel time and improve safety for commuters. With the addition of flyovers and underpasses, the highway will become more efficient, accommodating the high volume of traffic. The project also aligns with the government's focus on enhancing national highway infrastructure to boost economic growth and connectivity.
